In a gripping courtroom session on Wednesday, the murder trial of Abdul Kpaka took a poignant turn as Sylvester Patrick Kamara, the brother of the deceased Sia Fatu Kamara, recounted the harrowing moment he first saw his sister’s body.
His emotional testimony detailed the discovery of injuries that led him to question the circumstances surrounding her death.
Kpaka stands accused of murdering Sia Fatu Kamara, allegedly at his residence in Goderich, Freetown. During the trial, state prosecutor Yusuf Isaac Sesay called Kamara to the stand, where he disclosed that he was unaware of Kpaka’s existence until after the tragic event unfolded.
On August 13, 2024, Kamara received a devastating phone call from his mother, initially informing him that Sia had been taken to the Emergency Hospital due to a severe illness. Shortly after, he was called again to learn that she had passed away.
Kamara’s next call led him to his sister’s home at 6 Metchem, where he discovered a scene filled with grief: family and friends, including a pastor, were gathered in prayer. He described the chilling sight of Kpaka sitting beside Sia’s body, which was wrapped in a blanket.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed a cut on her upper lip and blood in her mouth, prompting him to break down in tears.
“When I saw the cut on her upper lip and the blood in her mouth, I broke down and wept,” Kamara testified, recalling the anguish that overwhelmed him.
Following this, Kamara recounted discussions with Freetown City Council Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr and her staff about transferring Sia’s body to a funeral home. After securing the necessary approvals from relatives abroad, he accompanied the body to Virtues Funeral Home.
At the funeral home, Kamara witnessed the unveiling of his sister’s body, which revealed further alarming injuries: a reddish mark on her temple, a swollen jaw, and scars around her breasts. The sight of these wounds drove him to tears once more.
The manager of the funeral home, Madam Princess Gibson, informed the family that a postmortem would be necessary. This prompted Kamara and his brother Christian to raise concerns about Kpaka’s assertion that Sia had died of a heart attack, as her injuries suggested otherwise. They reported the matter to the police, leading to Kpaka’s arrest.
The case was later transferred to the Lumley Police Station, where arrangements for a postmortem were made. On August 16, Kamara was present for the autopsy at Connaught Government Hospital, where he received the official report detailing the findings.
During the trial, Kamara produced photographs of Sia’s body taken at the funeral home, which were accepted as evidence despite objections from Kpaka’s defense attorney, Teddy Koroma. The presiding judge, Justice Alhaji Momoh Jah Stevens, ruled that evidence can be introduced regardless of how it was obtained.
Throughout his testimony, Kamara clarified his relationship with Sia, stating they were cousins rather than siblings, yet they shared a close bond, seeing each other every few months. His emotional account has set the tone for what promises to be a significant and poignant trial as the court continues to examine the circumstances surrounding Sia Fatu Kamara’s untimely death.
